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Monday, September 22, 2014

Senate approves creation of Quezon City Development Authority

The Senate today approved on third and final reading a bill creating the Quezon City Development Authority (QCDA) which will be mandated to promote investments and generate employment opportunities in the city.

Senate Bill No. 2161, introduced by Deputy Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and sponsored by Sen. Joseph “JV” Ejercito, would address Quezon City’s housing and urban development concerns through the creation of the QCDA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC). The measure was co-sponsored by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto.

According to Sotto, one of the tasks of QCDA will be “to provide adequate and affordable housing to marginalized and low-income families in Quezon City.”

To encourage the participation of the private sector, he said, the QCDA will promote and develop vacant, blighted and under-utilized lands owned by the local government of Quezon City;develop resettlement sites, and enter into joint ventures and partnerships to pursue QCDA’s primary objective of urban renewal.

“We must always look for ways to uplift the way of life of the people. The QCDA gives the local government the chance to provide projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the people of Quezon City, such as providing them affordable transportation, energy, access to telecommunications and information,” Sotto said.

The measure, which provides the QCDA with an authorized capital stock of P2 billion, also provides that all the powers and functions of the QCDA will be in accordance with established urban development and housing plans prepared by the QC government.

With the creation of the QCDA, the QC Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (HURA), a corporation owned by the city government mandated to provide low-cost dwelling units for the city’s informal settlers and low-income government employees will be dissolved, Sotto said. (Yvonne Almiranez)